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The Lord Ruler's perfect capital city, Luthadel, is doing the impossible: rebelling. Skaa half-breeds are being taught the power of Allomancy, something that the Lord Ruler's obligators said only existed in the nobility. The enslaved skaa, with their murderous benefactor, now fight back against a living god's oppression.

So, the Inquisition was formed. The nobles begin to fear assassination from all sides. The times of nobility Mistborn killing each other are over. The Steel Inquisitors look for aristocrat traitors and insurgent skaa, and the skaa try with all their strength to merely survive. The Lord Ruler's perfect Final Empire is slowly devolving into chaos.

Lady Isovel is a handsome woman, to be sure, with a regal mien to rival the Lord Ruler himself. Although her hair has long lost it's luster, she uses cosmetic dye to great effect, tinting her curled coif a handsome chestnut hue, although she occasionally allows her temples to remain untouched, "to lend an air of wisdom", as she likes to put it. This dark hair is complimented by dark eyes; eyes that have lost their lustrous lashes due to age; eyes with tired rings beneath that no amount of makeup could hide entirely. Her brows have become sparse with constant plucking (as has always been the fashion), her mouth and cheeks faintly stained by an encounter with poorly-blended makeup in her youth. One would never notice the residual signs of an allergic reaction gone awry, however, once she skillfully applies her (thankfully hypo-allergentic) cosmetics. Her face expresses warmth and kindness quite well, it's shape and coloring not suited toward anger or sorrow. A genuine smile from her could light up a room, but also pushes the fat and age of her face in a manner that she finds unflattering, so instead she merely curls her mouth primly, like a debutante at her first ball, and lets her eyes speak for her.

She is no longer the fluttering youth from long ago, but a woman heavy of body and austere of character. A lifetime of indulgence and idleness paired with a genetic predisposition for roundness has left her twice the woman she once was, turning her once twig-like stature into satisfied rolls of well-fed woman-flesh. While some might whisper cruelly how the once-delicate lady has "let herself go", Lady Isovel is content with her appearance, no longer concerned with keeping her form to catch the eye of a young milord [either due to marriage, widowhood, or spinsterhood]. Instead, she eats freely of the delicacies found at balls and parties, employs a veritable legion of specialty cooks, and has become quite popular for her varied and fine dining table. To be invited to one of her intimate soirees is to be invited to, perhaps, the best meal of your life.

True, she wears the tightest corsets that can be made. True, she spends lavishly on only the most superior cosmetics and gowns. She even hides the silver in her hair, and all of this for vanity's sake. Yet even were she to dress in skaa rags and allow her complexion and roots to show through, she would be the same woman with the same air of natural stoicism and unaffected magnificence.

It was as though she were born to be noble. Everything that makes nobility what they are is exemplified in her, from her amiable and social nature to her dignified presence, from her excellent speechcraft to her easy grace, she practically oozes with aristocratic perfection. Some are convinced that her charming mask doesn't cover much of anything else, and that there is nothing more beneath than the purest of plain-brained aristocrats. This is not entirely untrue, but to assume this makes her weak, easy to read, or depressingly boring is to discount a woman with such force of personality and such an iron will.

Her goals in the twilight of her life are simple enough: ensure that the next generation is paired off successfully, and that all strategic matches have been made with just a little love thrown in for good measure. The true power of the ruling class always lies in the next generation, and the only way to ensure the prosperity of Luthadel's nobility is to, as she so fondly enjoys saying, "set them up for success". Lady Isovel is no allomancer, so she could not train the mistings. She is not a scholar, so she could not pass on knowledge. She is not even a philosopher, to breed wisdom and prurience into the younger crowd. All she has is her indomitable drive, her keen eye for social lubrication, and an excellent sense of balancing duty and emotion into quite the deadly blend. She is most effective as she skates through parties and gatherings, leading introductions and learning a little about every eligible youth that passes under her scrutiny.

(This section may be removed or modified depending on her family situation, once I've determined where she belongs. Once it is less nebulous, it will be expanded upon) Of course, special care is taken for her own family. Lady Isovel is perhaps too stringent with the standards she sets for her (own children/nieces and nephews/cousins/grandchildren), which has led to (only the best marriages/the fact that her younger relatives still have yet to marry).

While a positive angel of charity among her peers, there is a darker side to this woman that is politely never discussed. She is, like most nobles, disdainful of the skaa, but her attitude is far from dismissive. A deep-seated loathing of the working class has fueled her since she was a child, and has given rise to occasional, horrifying cruelty. Where others merely dismiss the skaa, disposing of them like dogs or lesser beasts, she finds them more akin to a dark plague that lurks in the very corners of society; a threat to the pure love and sanctity of the marriages of the upper class. While the rest of her peers merely kill the skaa mistresses and prostitutes that are used by bored noblemen, she has been known to exact vengeance on them, especially if they step into any of the pairings she has arranged... and Lady Isovel has arranged many. She takes a sick delight in torturing skaa women especially, and has trouble keeping female servants in her staff, for even one wrong look at (her male relatives) is enough to send a scullery maid to "Madame's Parlor", a nightmarish private room deep in Lady Isovel's manor. The mutilation and depravity that takes place inside that room is never spoken of, but some say that more skaa have died directly from Lady Isovel's hands than they have beneath the heel of the Ministry. The city skaa avoid her carriage when it rumbles through the streets, and it is a dark day when, once a year, she travels to a brothel to "treat herself".

Special Skills: An excellent memory for names, titles, geanealogy, and social standing aid her in her matchmaking. A frighteningly clinical knowledge of the human body aid her in her torture of skaa. She is also deadly at most of the popular parlor games, especially the various card games favored by ladies.

Strengths: Nothing frightens Lady Isovel, and nothing can make her back down. Her age and her usefulness demand respect, and she is so self-assured that, were she younger, some might mistake it for cockiness. Injury and illness and violence mean nothing to her; she is no wilting flower to turn away from such things, whether in stories or in reality.

Weaknesses: Her age and stature have taken a toll on her health; although Lady Isovel is strong of character and will, her body is fragile and worn. Sickness takes her more easily, and it takes her much longer to recover. Injuries last longer, and no longer heal with the precision they once did. She is no athelete nor warrior, and even dancing for greath lengths can drain her of strength. She walks with a gilded cane, and sits as often as she can. The Lady is also frightened of skaa, more specifically the men, and refuses to set foot anywhere near a plantation, factory, mill, or anywhere where one might encounter a male skaa who has any semblence of strength. Her prejudices keep her closed off from most places that are not noble manors, and make it difficult for her to keep staff around her that she trusts. Clinically, she suffers from sociopathic tendencies with a severe lack of empathy (although she makes an excellent show of it among the nobles), and a genetic predisposition for dementia has finally started to settle on her in the last few years. She keeps it together, of course, but this will effect her more and more each passing year.

(work in progress)

"Lady Mering! May I say, you look stunning," Lady Isovel cooed, taking the girl's gloved hands in her own and smiling upward at the slim young debutante. "I have just the gentleman I wish you to meet this evening. I took in the description you gave me of your ideal..." the young lady blushed and stammered, worried that the plump, matronly woman would reveal the secrets she'd written in her letter, but it was an unfounded fear.

"Now, now. Tall and fair, you said, yes? I specifically remember how you described his smile, and I thought you might like to meet him." Pulling the flustered teenager's arm forward, Lady Isovel put her free arm through the girl's crooked elbow, standing with the aid of the waifish girl, but mostly with the aid of her beautifully decorated wooden cane. The matchmaker smiled indulently as she steered little Lady Mering around the dance floor, approaching a small group of young men who were laughing uproariously at a particular comment made by one of their members. The timid girl paled and hung back, but Lady Isovel would not be discouraged.

"Find your strength, girl!" She smiled reassuringly, leading the reluctant young woman toward the men. They graciously opened ranks, allowing the pair to join them, recognizing the purpose of any visit made by Lady Isovel when she had a pretty lady on her arm. "My lords, do excuse the interruption, but I know you have all been waiting for an introduction to our maid of honor this evening. If I may...?" She asked it like a question, but nobody refused her. They never did.

The youths smiled at the timid girl, bowing and kissing her fingertips upon each introduction. True to form, Lady Isovel introduced the boys with great care, working her way through the less eligible and eye-catching set until they finally ended with a very specific young man. "Lady Mering, Lord Rolend. Lord Rolend, Lady Mering. Lady Mering, you will be interested to know that my Lord Rolend is the heir to the House Ival shipping conglomorate. Quite a bit of travelling is done, and I'm sure he has a number of tales regarding the Outer Dominances to share with you." The lad was tall, with a mop of golden curls and a smile that was eager, yet held just enough of a smirk to feel dangerous. Lady Isovel's smile deepend as she saw Lady Mering quiver slightly, offering her small hand to the tall man.

It didn't take much to put them in discussion of travel and topography, and soon she had artfully shooed the group away from them, gently reminding one of them his promise to dance with her before the night was over. Still smiling in triumph, she turned away and began to limp back toward her table, clearly quite pleased with herself.

"Forgive me, my lady," her steward had appeared at her elbow, an imposingly tall Terrisman with a quiet, high voice. She turned to him, still smiling as she took his arm. The man led her away from the dance floor, murmuring as softly as he dared.

"We caught another one. She was crying in the kitchens, but once her story came out, we brought her to Madame's Parlor." Lady Isovel regarded him with surprise. There had been a sharp uprising of dalliances with skaa serving women as of late, with a number of women found half-naked in the midst of the last four balls. Lucky few had already been dead before Lady Isovel heard of it.

"Thank you, Benar," she replied smoothly. "I will take it from here, of course. Pass my apologies along to Lord Gendere and also to Lady Celise, and invite them both to my soiree tomorrow. While you're at it, invite Lady Helettia and Lord Namaniel." Benar nodded respectfully and departed to deliver his messages, and Lady Isovel made her slow way through the halls.

The Parlor was inconspicuous, at least from the outside. It was one door amid a hall of many private rooms, unmarked and unremarkable. Unlike the others, it had only one key, and could be secured from the inside with a number of wooden and stone reinforcements. Lady Isovel took great care to put every latch and lock in place as she closed the door behind her, and her warm smile turned into a terrifying grimace as the sounds of feminine whimpering met her ears.

Turning and tucking the key into her sleeve, she looked toward the woman who had been tied to the ceiling. Her wrists were bound, hanging from a strong hook that kept her just high enough from the floor that she could find no purchase. Her ankles had been bound as well, and her clothing had been disposed of already. Tears streamed down her face, and she opened her mouth to beg with the noblewoman.

"Please... please, my lady! He... he found me scrubbing the hall and...!" She couldn't have been older than fourteen. Bruises already lined her throat and her ribcage, and a long cut was oozing on her left cheek, cutting dangerously close to her eye. Lady Isovel ignored her, carefully sliding a doctor's coat over her dark navy ballgown, ensuring her expensive clothing would be protected.

"He w-wouldn't stop..." the girl -- child, really -- blubbered senselessly, her body and mind clearly damaged by the event. Lady Isovel guessed that it had been her first time. "... by the Lord Ruler, my lady, please have mercy! I will never.... do it again...!" The skaa wept, her fingers curling and uncurling, turning slightly blue from the restrictive bindings around her wrists.

Lady Isovel continued to act as though nothing was being said, removing her lace gloves and replacing them with a pair of dark mittens. They shone faintly, as though they had been treated to repel water. ".... I'm s-sorry! Please! I swear I will never get in the way of Lord Rolend Ivar again! Send me to a plantation! Send me to the mines! P-please... please...!" she broke down into terrified sobs as the Lady approached a large rack of implements, taking one down almost out of instinct. It was a blade, curled almost into a circle so that it's edge pointed inward. It was a small knife in her dexterous hands.

To her credit, Lady Isovel said nothing as she cut out the screaming girl's tongue. She never spoke with succubi if she could help it.

---

"Lady Isovel, I must thank you," Lord Rolend approached Lady Isovel's table later that evening. "Lady Mering is... she's perfect." His face was flushed with drink, with dance, with love. "I never thought I could find a woman with such... gentility, yet such a mind for adventure and excitement!" He grinned the wide, honest grin of a man in love. "Please, I owe you a great debt that you found me such happiness!" The youth leaned forward, hands on her table, and the matron merely smiled behind her fan.

"Oh! Lord Rolend, think nothing of it. The pleasure was all mine. Nothing brings me greater joy than a young couple in love." She fanned herself, signaling Beren over with a decanter and a few glasses. "But I will drink to your everlasting love. Come! Bring Lady Mering, and I will toast to the pair of you." Her eyes glittered as the boy hurried to find his partner, and the red wine glittered as Beren poured the dark, heady drink into three handsome crystal glasses.

First of all, I want to say that you immediately made me think of this scene, as well as made me wish we would adapt the lyrics to a world-relevant conversation. Here it is:

I like that you call the skaa men "male skaa", as this is how she would think.

Sociopathy, I would classify as a part of her personality, not a weakness nor a strength.

I would revise this:"My lords, do excuse the interruption, but I know you have all been waiting for an introduction to our maid of honor this evening. If I may...?" She asked it like a question, but nobody would ever refuse her. They never did.

To this:"My lords, do excuse the interruption, but I know you have all been waiting for an introduction to our maid of honor this evening. If I may...?" She asked it like a question, but nobody refused her. They never did.Just seems better to me.

I would really want to know what Lady Mering's wishes were.

Oh, Noelle might not like the scene in the middle. She has told me my rape scenes are too emotionally taxing to be anything but bad and cruel. Well, she did not phrase it quite that badly, but this the general direction, if to a lesser degree. I believe the same will be with you.

I, on the other hand, like the harshness the final empire can be used in, and don't really think writing a painful scene nicely is a good practice (for various reasons). I might one day make Lady Isovel's chamber maid.

Thank you for the input! I definitely wrote that line clumsily, and I do like your edit much better.

As for the grisly scene in the middle, I tried to mostly stick with implications, and of course faded to black before much could be revealed. I know this is a PG-13 site, so I will probably have to re-train myself to be very careful how I address the more "adult" aspects of my characters, but I'm sure Noelle (and the other mods) will also help me out with that. Thanks for letting me know, and I'll do what I can do pick my words more carefully in that scene, and in future scenes.

As for her chamber maid, I'm afraid you'd be making a character with a death wish! Might be interesting, though. Her hatred of female skaa and fear of male skaa make it hard for her to let anyone but her steward close to her. If it's a "thing", she might allow younger nobles of lesser houses (or distant family members) be her "companions", much as a Queen in the past would have ladies-in-waiting. A good way to keep skaa from being too close, a good way to get to know the next generation, and of course there's the possibility of keeping some mistings in her retinue... but this will all depend on which house I end up putting her in. It's so difficult to decide!

This rape scene (mine) was edited because it was too harsh, and presumably it is more or less on the border between okay and not.

This is what I have been told before editing: (all emphasis mine)

Comatose, on 14 September 2013 - 12:06 AM, said:

Hey Tal,

I just finished reading Ryle's post, have discussed it with KChan, and we feel like the content is a little graphic for our PG - 13 rating. As you know, rape is a part of the final empire, and it figures prominently in the histories of many of the characters on the boards. That being said, we also have to be aware that there are some younger users on the boards, and also of our site's affiliation with the 17th Shard. A good rule of thumb is if you're not sure if Brandon would put it in one of his books, maybe it shouldn't be put on here either.

Now, don't get me wrong, I'm all for putting characters in tough or traumatic situations to challenge myself as a writer and see how my characters react and grow. The staff would just be more comfortable with the scene if you edited out or eased off on some of the more graphic or sensual bits. The main action of the scene is fine, just try to leave the details of the sexual assault a little more vague.

Again, I do want to stress that I am not saying the scene is bad in any way, just that it isn't quite right (as is) for these boards, and if it is going to stay it has to be edited a bit. Also, just so you know, if the sexual assault goes any further, we are going to have to ask that you fade to black, which is the practice we've kept with all other sex scenes on the site.

Hmm. I'll definitely keep that in mind in all my future writing. I'm a little desensitized to the fine line between PG-13 and R, so I may need nudging for a while whenever I cross that line. I was hoping that "took" would be acceptable, but "seed" may be going too far. I also removed the reference to impregnation, and only obliquely mentioned her nudity. I'll be more careful about those sorts of things in the future. Thank you for sharing your knowledge with me! (:

Dealing sensitively with heave subject matter like this is always difficult, and its something I struggle with as well. On one hand, the final empire is a delightfully brutal place, with lots of potential to test character's limits. On the other, our readers and writers exist in this world, and we do try to be sensitive to varying sensibilities.

I'm not certain if I can give you any particular advice for the section of the RP sample. It definitely edges the line, but I don't have any hard and fast rules to keep things within it. If you want an example of how I've dealt with similar situations in my character histories, you can check out Night, Daphne, or Valerre, who all have darker histories. You don't have to read all or any of the applications I'm linking, but the links are there if you are interested.

For your particular scene, I think the description of the girl is what raises alarms for me. One solution might be to leave her naked, and perhaps mention signs that it was her first time, but don't go into detail what those signs are, or something. In all honesty, I don't know if that helps at all, or is necessary, but it's what came to mind. Personally I love the scene as is, but am nervous about some of the content. Ultimately, just do your best and use your judgement, and the staff will try our best to work with you to figure things out />.

The graphic content issue aside, I absolutely LOVE her. She's utterly fantastic, and I wonder what kind of conversations she'd have with Daerra and Aaron's mother, Janelle Elariel for some reason (you can read more about her in Andrew Elariel's application). Please forgive the writing in the Daerra and Aaron applications, if you end up reading them. They were the first applications I ever wrote, and were written almost four years ago, so they are not very good. I could see Isovel's courtly side getting along with Janelle swimmingly, but I could see her being dismissive of her at the same time. Whether or not they ever talk in RP though will remain to be seen.

I seriously would LOVE for her to be an Elariel. I'd even consider making her the wife of the former Lord Elariel, Andrew and Alistair's mother (though she would have to be aged up five to ten years, since her eldest child, Andrew, would be 45). I haven't spoken much about the character (formerly a Venture), so if you are interested, Isovel could just be slotted in (replacing Marion Elariel nee. Venture on the family tree*). Since Andrew shares some of her sociopathic tendencies, I could see them getting along in a Mother/Son relationship, and I would be interested to see how Isovel dealt with the rivalry between Andrew and his brother, Alistair.

EDIT: Also, since both Andrew and Daerra have sociopathic traits, it would be interesting if they had a relative who had them as well.

*Note About the Family Tree: The family tree is out of date. Anton's sister, Ellen, should now be Ellen Venture, instead of Ellen Sureau, and she is Niklaus's mother. Marion (who I am proposing Isovel could replace) would be a former Venture and the sister of Niklaus's father (making her his aunt by marriage on the Elariel side, and his aunt by blood on the Venture side). Let me know if none of that makes sense.

That being said, if that is not your cup of tea, I would be more than happy to fit her in anywhere else within Elariel, since her dedication to making matches for younger family members seems (to me anyways) to fit well with the house's policy of marrying out young house members to other Great Houses equally.

You can read more about Elariel here, so let me know if you are interested. If it's not your cup of tea, I hope Isovel finds a house soon, because I absolutely adore her!

Now, if I distance myself a bit from my love of the character and think objectively, I will mention that the writing itself was fantastic, and I have nothing to critique at the moment. If something does occur to me I'll mention it right away, but for now, great work!!!

Thank you very much for the information! This sample has definitely reminded me that I tend to write in a more adult manner, and I think my RP tends to live around an "R" rating for the most part. I will definitely re-write that particular area to fit it into the right rating, and I'll use it as a point of reference for future ways in which I discuss the darkness of my characters.

As for being an Elariel, that was one of the last three houses I was deciding on! I would have no qualms aging her up a bit (although her PB looks somewhat younger, the actress herself is 65), and a rename would not be out of the question if you wanted to keep her named Marion, if nothing else but for consistency issues.

I wish I had a camera when I reacted to your post... once I finally figured out the family tree (and where Isovel would fit into it) I was all "Ooh. OOH! YES". I was initially trying to force her into either Helena or Jaenelle's spots, but I think it's even better if she's even further up in the tree, making her matronly as hell.

Unless someone else has a big idea, I'll probably plop Isovel into that matriarch slot shortly. It will definitely give me a chance to finally write up her history, once i re-read Andrew's. (Have I mentioned that I love Andrew, by the way? I read his bio yesterday and wished I could make Isovel more Jaenelle-ish, but it just wasn't happening).

EDIT: To be clear, the PG-13 issue was with sexual content, not with violence content, yes?

Marion was just a placeholder name. Personally, I prefer Isovel. The birth date can also be flexible too, as long as she is old enough to have a forty-five year old son.

In my mind, I'd see Isovel view Janelle as a good acquisition for the family, and perhaps a pleasant social companion, but not much else. Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong. No matter what, I see the potential for some fun interactions .

And let me know if you'd like to work some stuff out with Andrew, or if you have any questions for the history

Just as a side note, Isovel could also be involved with the Lekals somehow (maybe having married into Elariel?) since their lords, more than any other player characters, seem to have dalliances with the skaa, and other - shall we say - questionable relationships. I wouldn't put it past them to have contributed to her complex somehow.

I'm going to third what Coma and Noelle have said already about the content, but I also wanted to say I absolutely love Isovel. She's a beautifully written character and I love the contrast between her public and private lives. I hope you do decide to bring her into a Great House, because that way our armies of young people would be forced to put up with her matchmaking whether they want to or not. If she were of a lower rank, some of the most eligible characters could just ignore her if they wanted, and that's no fun for RP.

Also, definitely keep the Isovel name. It's great, and we already have a Marion. And last but certainly not least, yes, noble servants are definitely a thing - especially among the Great Houses. I can't imagine any lady from such a house allowing a skaa to serve in such a close position as a favored lady's maid.

Thanks for the confirmation on content, admins! I will be more aware of my content starting now.

I've decided! As long as Comatose is still up for it, I'll slide Isovel into Marion's spot, making her a Venture by birth and an Elariel by marriage. I'm still trying to figure out how she would react to Andrew's plot against Anton, or even if she knew about it... hmmm. I have a few ideas that I'll PM at you either this evening or tomorrow, Comatose.

KChan! Thank you for encouraging me to make Isovel OP <3 Well, not really, but you know what I mean. It will be good to have her in a position where she can't be refused... although I'm sure Daerra does all the time because she's family. Also, thanks for the info about noble servants... that's pretty much all she's ever going to keep around.

I'll start putting down her history in the next day or so, and she should be ready to play by Friday! Woohoo!

Real quick: does anyone know how Frederick Venture fits into the Venture family tree? (Husband of Ellen Venture nee Elariel, who are Niklaus and Gisela's parents). I'm trying to put together my own family tree so I don't end up making some weird inbreeding thing happen (at least by accident).

Roger that! Future edits will be put here until I'm ready to post for realsies.

Would it be too inbreedy of me to make Isovel the younger sister of Denton and Bastian? That would make her the aunt of Willem, Shokhan, Ellsworth, and Magnus, and would make them cousins to Andrew and Alistair. Which would make Charle, Nevan, and Irina Venture... second cousins? Of Aaron, Daerra, and Claudia Elariel.

Also, how does the now-deceased Phyra fit into the Venture family?

I may or may not be making a massively gigantic family tree at the moment.

It might be best to make her a cousin instead of a sibling. We've somehow wound up with a plethora of three-sibling families, to the point that it's a running gag among the admins. XD

Phyra is the child of Sigmund/Shokhan Venture, who is the older brother of Ellsworth and Magnus. He was disinherited twenty... sixish years ago and shipped off to the Ministry for unleashing a fit of stabby rage on some random Deveaux. So she's first cousins with Nevan, Charle, and Broderick.

EDIT: So about how I forgot my own geneaology. XD It's okay with me, if we feel we can justify a four-sibling noble family.

I discovered, after starting my own family tree, that it would indeed be too inbreedy to make Isovel the sister of Bastian and Denton. Their unnamed sister is the mother of Helena, who married Isovel's son Alistair. If Isovel was also Bastian and Denton's sister, then Helena would be Isovel's first cousin once removed, meaning Helena and Alistair would be first cousins.

I also don't think the Elariels or the Ventures would have found it advantageous for a pair of siblings to marry another pair of siblings, (if Isovel was Fred's sister, and they married the siblings Anton and Ellen).

This is going to make Isovel a Venture second cousin, as she shares great-grandparents with Fredrick, Denton, and Bastian. This makes the pairing of Helena Lekal and Alistair Elariel a pairing of third cousins, which seems sufficiently less inbred than before.

I'm sorry if this is confusing! I just spend the last day and a half learning about genealogy and trying to put together an extended family tree via Family Echo. Putting Isovel further out into the extended family does make the tree much larger, but because everyone in the branches above her are dead, it shouldn't matter too much once we look at the scope of things.

I've updated the Elariel family tree to include Isovel, on a google doc, since I no longer have photo-shop to edit the old one. The new one is a little more confusing to read, but I think it makes sense once you get the hang of it.

Her new place in the Venture family tree should work fine, and third cousins have same percentage of similar genetic material as a random stranger could have, so in the context of the final empire, where so many families of noble blood would be interrelated, third cousins should be just fine